The present invention relates to a workpiece guide for sewing machines.
This guide is of the type comprising: one or more superposed plates which are spaced apart and disposed substantially parallel to the work surface of the sewing machine and at right angles to the sewing axis, a vertical wall disposed between one plate and the work support surface and one or more vertical walls disposed between the plates.
In the case of the known guide, the plates may be stationary with respect to the sewing axis or they may be totally or partially displaceable with respect thereto by means of a translational or rotational movement, thereby facilitating insertion of the workpiece beneath the presser foot of the sewing machine and permitting the passage of thicker portions of the layers forming the workpiece resulting, for example, from the presence of pockets, belts, etc.
The object of the present invention is to obviate a common disadvantage of the guides comprising movable plates which are most widely used for matching two pieces of fabric which are to be joined together.
For displacement of the plates, the conventional guides are provided with openings within which the plates can be displaced. These openings form clearance slits or gaps between the movable plates and the stationary walls of the guide. It has been found that during the sewing operation some of the threads which protrude from the edges of the layers of fabric to be joined will enter into these slits or gaps so as to prevent said layers of fabric from sliding freely between the plates in the direction of the sewing elements. Such a condition will create undesirable bunching or crumpling of the fabric whereby one layer will be out of alignment with the other during the stitching operation.
To obviate the above-mentioned disadvantage, the technical problem which the present invention is intended to solve consists in providing a guide devoid of the so-called slits or gaps between the plates and the vertical walls in the zone in which edges of the layers are pressed against the vertical walls while still enabling the plates to be moved away from the sewing elements.
The object of the present invention is to ensure that the guide is automatically displaced when the sewing machine starts or stops.
The above-mentioned technical problem is solved and the above object attained by means of the guide according to the present invention which comprises a base plate integral with the guide disposed beneath the vertical wall and interposed between lower plates and the work surface; a stationary bedplate comprising a recess adapted to receive the base plate while enabling it to be displaced therein; means for displacing the entire guide with respect to the base plate on the right of the sewing axis so as to move it away from the sewing elements.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent in the course of the following detailed description of the guide according to the invention which is provided by way of non-limitative example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: